Dr. Maya Roth directs “The Grace of Mary Traverse”

Last night I saw a smart, elegant, disturbing and thought-provoking play on campus. It is by acclaimed playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker, who was a visiting faculty member in 2005. It was a particular privilege because of exceptional directing by Maya Roth, a scholar who knows her oeuvre better than anyone else, and because the playwright was there for Q&A. Although Wertenbaker has returned to the UK, the play will run for two more weeks. You really must see it if you can.

A boldly inventive historical drama which resonates powerfully with contemporary life, The Grace of Mary Traverse chronicles a young woman’s Faustian quest for identity, power, and grace. With dizzying wit, intellect and speed, the play follows Mary’s brutal and often darkly comic spiral within male-dominated realms of sex, gambling, politics, and religion in 18th-century London. Internationally acclaimed British playwright and recent GU Visiting Faculty member Timberlake Wertenbaker (Our Country’s Good, Love of the Nightingale) returns to Georgetown’s campus for the area premiere of this award-winning work, celebrating its 25th anniversary. This event requires a ticket or RSVP